


Just a phone call away

by madlysanecatlady



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-31 02:20:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8559541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlysanecatlady/pseuds/madlysanecatlady
Summary: Oswald won't stop pestering Ed while he's at work. But Ed doesn't mind all that much - he's grown fond of his feathered houseguest.





	

Oswald was lonely. It made sense. He was quite used to having constant company and this sudden solitude was eating away at him with every passing moment.

Things were... nice when Ed was around. The oddball was always ready for conversation, never lacked a kind or interesting thing to say, and his cooking talent certainly didn't hurt. But when he went to work, well, Oswald didn't find that nearly as nice.

He spied the phone on the table and smiled. Well, no one could fault him for... checking in, could they?

‘What can I do for you, my fine feathered friend?’ Ed answered on the first ring.

Oswald had to work to suppress a giddy giggle at the sound of a voice at the other end of the line. He thought quickly for a reason to call, mentally kicking himself for not doing that first. ‘How can I get the kettle to work? The button's stuck.’

‘Oh, just give the button a little jiggle, it can be a tad difficult at times,’ Ed told him, a smile in his voice. ‘The tea is is in the jar beside the sink. The heat-resistant beakers are beneath the sink and hold a very generous amount.’ There was a pause before Ed continued. ‘You strike me as a honey kind of fellow, a need for sweet... the honey is on the shelf above the kettle.’

‘Thank you, Ed. How is your-’

‘Oh no, terribly sorry sir,’ Ed said, sounding harried. ‘I'm afraid I'm going to have to go. Enjoy your tea.’

The line went dead all too soon, and Oswald was left only with the bubbling of the kettle for company.

-

‘Yes, Mr. Penguin?’ Ed answered on the first ring again. ‘Did you enjoy your tea?’

‘I did, thank you,’ Oswald smiled, cradling the phone to his ear with his shoulder. ‘I think your toilet’s broken, it won’t flush.’

‘Oh, it does that sometimes, the flap gets stuck open, just jiggle the handle a little,’ Ed told him, sounding distracted. Oswald heard the shuffling of papers. ‘Is your shoulder alright?’

‘Oh, yes, a little achy, but I think you’ve done a good job,’ Oswald told him appreciatively. ‘How is it going? What time do you think you’ll be home?’

Oswald heard a sharp exhale, like Ed had let out a very quiet snicker. ‘I will be home by five. Would you like me to bring anything?’

‘No, no, that’s fine, Ed,’ Oswald smiled into the phone. ‘I can have dinner ready. Would you like something special?’

‘I don’t want you overexerting yourself,’ Ed tutted. ‘Don’t worry about it, I was thinking about bringing home takeout. Sound good?’

‘Sounds perfect,’ Oswald looked at the clock, trying not to let his spirits fall when he saw he still had three hours to go until Ed came home. ‘Just… don’t take too long to get back. I’m sure I’ll be very hungry, and I very well can’t go out myself.’

‘Get some rest, Mr. Penguin,’ Ed sighed. ‘I really need to finish this up now, or else I’ll be home later.’

Oswald put down the phone with a frown. He was bothering Ed. He felt terrible about it. He needed to stop calling him so much. He could survive three hours of quietude. Right?

-

Oswald lasted about fifteen minutes. Then called Ed about a suspiciously rabid looking bat hanging from the neon sign outside. And then a good thirty after that, until he called about the awful buzzing from the radiator. He caved again after ten more minutes to wonder how to actually draw hot water for a bath.

The bath was able to distract him for nearly forty minutes, until he got out and called Ed to complain about the toilet’s flushing again.

Ed had sounded truly harried and maybe even annoyed that time. Oswald felt a little guilty for being so needy. Yet, before he knew it, he’d dialed again and was asking about the spicy mustard.

Oswald had no idea what he was thinking. Surely he could survive a day alone, he’d spent much of his childhood alone. Yet… Oswald longed for company, Ed’s company if he were to be perfectly honest. But. He was being a nuisance. A fine way to repay Ed his kindness. He wouldn’t be surprised if the adorable little oddball threw him out when he got home. Oswald resolved to be less annoying.

Oswald was downright shocked when the phone rang in his hand.

‘Sorry,’ they both said.

'I couldn’t risk her hearing you,’ Ed murmured. 'Wait, why are you sorry?’

'I’ve been a nuisance all day,’ Oswald told him, perplexed. 'I’ve heard you getting annoyed with me. I’m sorry. I’ll stop.’

'You’re lonely. I am not annoyed with you. You would sound frustrated too if you had to deal with these morons poking around you all day. But… if you could maybe refrain from calling every five minutes, I could finish up faster. Then I’ll bring dinner.’

'I’ll do that, my friend,’ Oswald told him quickly. 'Just hurry home.’

'I’ll do my best,’ Ed paused for a moment. 'But if you really do need something, Mr. Penguin, I am just a phone call away.’

**Author's Note:**

> I'm working on transmitting all my works to here! :)


End file.
